Bringing Many Sons to Glory

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This is a sermon based on Romans 8:12-25. It includes verses regarding the Christian believer's adoption as "sons of God." It also includes verses in which Paul writes about the coming glory when all the creation will experience the final redemption God has in store.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

A story I think I may have shared before…

(Bill Cosby) “Poets have said the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality; and I must admit I did ask God to give me a son because I wanted someone to carry on the family name. Well, God did just that and I now confess that there have been times when I have told my son not to reveal who he is.”

Well, I don’t know, but I wonder sometimes if that is how God feels about His children? But that isn’t really the focus of the scripture we are studying. The focus is totally on the privileges we enjoy because we are a part of the family of God.

In the passage of Romans that we will be considering today, the analogy of being sons or children of God is employed to express our relationship with God and to explain the coming “inheritance” that God’s children will receive.

Before we get into that, let’s review a bit. Here’s a quick rundown of where we’ve been so far in our study of Romans:

The predominant theme of the entire book is – The righteousness of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We’ve looked at…

I. God’s righteousness is revealed through divine judgment. (1:18-3:20)

II. God’s righteousness is revealed through justification. (3:21-5:21)

III. God’s righteousness is revealed through sanctification. (6:1-8:39)

A. Sanctification means grace is victorious. (6)

B. Sanctification means the law has a purpose. (7)

C. Sanctification means the Spirit has control. (8)

Last week we worked our way through the first 11 verses of chapter eight. We talked about the first of three evidences that the Spirit is in control: (lower case Roman numerals on the outline) The Spirit produces true freedom. (1-25)

In discussing how the Spirit produces true freedom we covered about three of the four areas in which we experience freedom: (lower case letters “a” – “d” on the outline)…

a. freedom from condemnation

b. freedom from sin and death

c. freedom to live righteously

As we talked about the freedom to live righteously, we talked about four of the five ways that righteousness relates to freedom: (#’s 1-5 on the outline)…

1. Righteous demands were fulfilled in Christ.

2. Righteousness is imparted by the Spirit.

3. Righteousness requires a spiritual mind [or mindset].

4. Righteousness comes by spiritual power.

Today we are ready to talk about the fifth way that righteousness relates to freedom produced by the Spirit, and then we will move on to discuss the fourth area in which we experience the freedom through the Spirit.

Freedom to live righteously also includes the fact that…

5. Righteousness is based on relationship. (12-17)

¹²  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

“we are debtors” – under obligation; as “brethren” we are obligated, but not to the flesh to be presently and continually living according to the flesh. The unspoken inference is: we are obligated to the Spirit.

“if you live…” – continuous action according to the flesh will result in death, but if through the continuous aid of the Spirit you kill the deeds of the body, you will have life.

Paul is addressing “brethren” which includes all saved Jews and Gentiles and he warns them to no longer live “according to” or in the manner of the flesh, but use the full blessing of the Spirit afforded them as believers and crucify the deeds of the body.

The important thing to remember here is the fact that the Spirit does give us the ability to conquer the desires of the flesh or deeds of the body. It is not inevitable for us to be overcome by them.

If you are following the outline, you can see that I have included these two verses along with 14-17 under the heading of relationship. That is because I believe that Paul uses the verses about being the “sons of God” and being adopted by God to explain the rationale for his admonition in 12-13.

“For” (v.14) – a conjunction which makes the point related to the previous statement. “Brothers, we are under no obligation to live according to the desires of the flesh because we are now children of God and by virtue of that relationship we have the abiding presence of the Spirit to help us “mortify” the deeds of the body.

 ¹⁴  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." ¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷  and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 “as many as are led…” – the proof of relationship is being actively led by the Spirit.

Contrast is offered between the “spirit of bondage” and the “spirit of adoption.”

(Reasoner) Wesley commented that the Holy Spirit was “not properly a spirit of bondage,” but [Wesley et. al. believed] … “the spirit of bondage here seems directly to mean those operations of the Holy Spirit, by which the soul, on its first conviction, feels itself in bondage to sin, to the world, to Satan, and [liable] to the wrath of God. This therefore and the Spirit of adoption are one and the same Spirit, only manifesting itself in various operations.” The distinction made by Wesley is that while the Holy Spirit does not create bondage, his convicting work makes us aware of our bondage.

What a blessed privilege!

Prior to coming to Christ, we were “aliens and foreigners” as Paul describes in Ephesians 2. We were outsiders! But now we are children of God!

“adoption” – a compound word literally meaning, “in position of a son.”

“abba, father” – an Aramaic word and a Greek word that both mean father. Jews and Gentiles have the privilege of being children of God. (Reasoner) Jews did not approve of speaking about God as “father,” and Muslims also cannot speak of God as father. So, this is a distinctly Christian understanding of privilege.

“Spirit bears witness” – The Holy Spirit is actively at work in us to confirm and assure us that we do belong to God.

(The IVP Bible Background Commentary) – As a legal act, Roman adoption had to be attested by witnesses; the Spirit is here the attesting witness that God adopts believers in Jesus as his own children.

“if children, then heirs… joint heirs…” – the normal consequence of being a child of God is that we are heirs.

Hebrews 1:2  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

1 Peter 1:4 (NKJV) ⁴  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Apparently his reference to being “heirs” has inspired him to elaborate on what it involves, so he continues more in-depth in the following verses.

b. We shall have freedom from the curse of sin. (18-25)

¹⁸  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

“consider” (KJV “reckon”) – a bookkeeping term indicating that he is comparing the ledger between present and future.

(Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,)

For some funerals, I have used this passage in Romans to emphasize that Paul knew by experience what he was talking about, viz. all the beatings, being left for dead, and then “I know a man who was caught up to the third heaven…”

¹⁹  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

“earnest expectation” – (Reasoner) a compound word that includes means “watching with outstretched head.” This, plus the words “eagerly waits” give the picture as J. B. Phillips translated it, “the whole creation is on tiptoe.”

Paul goes into great detail to speak about the fact that the redemption (salvation) we have experienced is merely partial, but we shall experience full salvation when the whole scheme of redemption is completed.

He seems to distinguish between the redemption of the creation and the redemption of the children of God (believers).

The redemption of creation implies the current condition of the curse of sin upon all the world (cf. Gen 3) and that the entire order of things created will one day be totally and completely restored to God’s original design and purpose.

²²  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴  For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

 “The creation groans…we also groan” – this seems to be a reference to the fact that everything is enduring the present pains of the effects of sin and can hardly wait for the curse to be lifted and redemption to be completed.

 “eagerly waiting for the adoption…” – we have already experienced spiritual adoption by virtue of the justification and regeneration we have experienced through faith in Christ, as well as the daily presence of the Holy Spirit, but this is speaking of the “final adoption” i.e., physical “redemption of our body.”

Because of what we know God has promised and what we believe is coming for the children of God, we persevere through the most difficult situations and circumstances in this life.

Conclusion:

The title I chose for the sermon today is a phrase that appears in the book of Hebrews, chapter 2:10.

¹⁰  For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

In the context the author of Hebrews is speaking about the Messiah as a servant of God who would suffer and provide the means for “bringing many sons to glory.” That is, bringing the followers of Christ to the point of full development to share the glory with the Son (see the previous verse, v. 9 - But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.)

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, filled with the  life of the Holy Spirit within you, then you are one of the “sons” that God is bringing to glory through everything that Jesus already suffered, in order that we can share the inheritance with Christ, Who was already made an “heir of all things” by His Father (Heb. 1:2)

Songwriter has penned these words:

Life’s day will soon be o’er

All storms forever past.

We’ll cross the great divide

To glory, safe at last.

We’ll share the joys of heav’n

A harp, a home, a crown.

The tempter will be banished;

We’ll lay our burdens down.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus….

For our closing song today I have chosen hymn # 780, Until Then.

The Law of the Spirit

(The audio recording of this message is not available due to technical difficulties.)

This is a sermon based on Romans 8:1-11 that is part of a series of sermons on the entire book of Romans. This message looks at the role of the Spirit in sanctification as God continues to impart His righteousness to His children.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

I would like to begin the message today by expressing my thanks to the Lord for His Word.

I have been learning a great deal through this series of messages. This has always been one of the reasons I love to do series – because in the process of studying, I feel I learn as much or more than those who hear the sermons.

I think I’ll introduce our message today by looking at the title I have chosen – “The Law of the Spirit.” I chose this arrangement of words because it appears in verse two and it is a phrase that we do not often hear. The full phrase reads, “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

For many of us I assume, the words “law” and “spirit” seem to be somewhat conflicted or unrelated. However, it is probably Paul’s way of referring to the “principle” of life that is lived in the realm or sphere of the Spirit rather that the “principle of life” that is lived in the sphere of sin and death.

Paul is confidently proclaiming the remedy to the problems addressed in the two preceding chapters – the problem of sin and the problem of the flesh.

In chapter eight he is providing the answer to the last of three hypothetical questions which began with chapter six.

(Oswalt) “The first one began chapter 6: since no righteousness of mine brought me to Christ, [then] no righteousness is expected of me in the relationship with Christ, [right?]. Paul answers with a thundering ‘No.’….

“The second question is implied at the beginning of chapter 7: … [since] I come into the relationship with Christ by faith, and I am expected to live a life of righteousness.… do I do that by my own effort through obedience to the law?.... No!

“The third question grows out of the conflict between the answers to the first and second. If to be a Christian is to live a life of righteousness like Christ’s and yet I am unable to live such a life [in my own efforts], what am I to do?....

“What [chapter eight] says in a nutshell is this: the way to defeat sin in our lives is to allow the Spirit of Christ to live his life through us. In this way the ‘flesh’ will not be allowed to rule us, and we will not continue in sin.”

Let’s get started working our way through this chapter. I’m not sure if I’ll get done with what I planned for today or not. If not, we’ll just pick up where we left off the next time.

C.  Sanctification means the Spirit has control. (8:1-39)

The role of the Holy Spirit has been significant all the way through Scripture.

The ministry and the power of the Spirit has been one of the things that distinguished true religion from all the false ones. All through the OT we have recorded instances of God giving his Spirit to various individuals in order to perform special assignments for the Lord. But the prophets, especially Ezekiel and Joel, prophesied about a day when the Spirit of God would be poured out on all people, not just a select few.

Now the apostle Paul has come to the place where he can introduce the theme in its intended role in the lives of the NT believers.

In chapter 8 we see three evidences that the Spirit is in control: (lower case Roman numerals on your outline). We will only consider the first one today.

i.  The Spirit produces true freedom. (1-25)

A considerable portion of this chapter (verses 1-25), seems to be talking about the genuine freedom that is provided for every believer through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

In verses 1-25 we notice four areas in which we experience freedom: (lower case “a” – “d” on your outline). We will cover three of the areas this morning.

a.  We now have freedom from condemnation. (1)

¹  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

There is no judgment, guilt, or condemnation to anyone and everyone who is in Christ Jesus. (cf. Rom. 5:1; …justified… peace with God thro’ our Lord Jesus Christ.)

“in Christ Jesus” – joined with Christ in a spiritual union that is not only positional but it is spiritual; not just judicial (i.e. legal or “court” action in our behalf), but also experiential.

“who do not walk…” – this phrase does not appear in many ancient manuscripts, but some copies did include it. It would seem to me that it certainly expresses the emphasis of this section as noted in verse 4 where the phrase is repeated.

b.  We now have freedom from sin and death. (2)

²  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

“law of the Spirit…” – the ruling principle that now controls the believer’s life.

“of life” – a qualifying description in contrast to the “death” that is connected to sin.

“free from the law of sin and death” – true deliverance and freedom from that ruling principle of sin that always ends in death.

c.  We now have freedom to live righteously. (3-17)

The freedom that Paul is talking about here not only delivers us from some things (e.g. condemnation, sin, and death), but it frees us to now live out the righteousness of God in a way that was never possible before.

There is both a negative and positive aspect to this freedom through the Spirit. Negative: in what it delivers us from; Positive: in what it frees us to accomplish.

In verses 3-17 we find five ways that righteousness relates to freedom: (#1-5 on your outline).

1. Righteous demands were fulfilled in Christ. (3)

³  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

This verse re-emphasizes the same message we presented last Sunday from chapter 7.

“the law could not do” – The law cannot enable us to live out the righteousness that God expects because the purpose of the law is to exercise dominion.

“it was weak” – this was a concept I also talked about last week, although this term does not appear in chapter 7; only here in v. 3.

“through the flesh” – the reason the law was weak was due to the work of the “flesh” within us, which always stands in the way of God’s purposes and defeats us, until we discover the new life of the Spirit.

“God did by sending his own Son” – (Wuest's Word Studies) God's condemnation of sin is expressed in His sending His Son in our nature, and in connection with sin that He died for it i. e., took its condemnation upon Himself.

Here again Paul stresses the fact that Jesus Christ once and for all, and decisively remedied the sin problem.

The holy, sinless, (righteous) Son of God came in the flesh and surrendered his own life so that sin could be conquered. It is a disgrace and a sacrilege against the work of Christ to admit that believers cannot be victorious over intentional and willful sin.

2. Righteousness is imparted by the Spirit. (4a)

^4a  that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us

(Wuest's Word Studies) Alford says, "find its full accomplishment, not merely, be performed by us… [but] that the aim of God in giving the law might be accomplished in us, in our sanctification, which is the ultimate end of our redemption… The passive is used, to show that the work is not ours, but that of God by His grace."

The way this verse is interpreted by some would require the wording of this phrase to be, “might be fulfilled for us.” However, God’s salvation is more than just a legal pardon, it is a spiritual resurrection and moral transformation.

“in us” – I think this tiny prepositional phrase should be understood in relation to v. 1 “in Christ.” For every person that is now “in Christ” the direct consequence is the fact that he is “in us” too and by virtue of that fact, his righteousness is “fulfilled in us” or we could properly say, “imparted to us.”

Speaking to a large audience, Rev. D.L. Moody held up [an empty] glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.  (Today in the Word, September, 1991, p. 30. Quoted in http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/holy_spirit_ infilling.htm)

If you try to erase sin from you life by your own efforts, you’ll fail every time. Give yourself over to Christ so completely and thoroughly that His indwelling Spirit will fill you so full there won’t be any room for sin.

3. Righteousness requires a spiritual mind [or mindset]. (4b-8)

^4b  who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  ⁵  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

I won’t take time to analyze the words and phrases of this section.

It is enough to recognize that Paul is drawing a distinct and vivid contrast between the mind that is focused on the desires of the flesh and the mind that is focused on the desires of the Spirit.

The mind under the control of the flesh is at war with God, it is heading toward death, and cannot please God.

The mind that is under the control of the Spirit is enjoying life and peace and victory.

4. Righteousness comes by spiritual power. (9-11)

⁹  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Again, I want you to notice how many times the phrase “in you” occurs. (Four times in just three verses!)

Also, notice v. 9b – This phrase would also support what we have been saying about chapter 7 not being the picture of a true believer. If we don’t have the Spirit, we don’t belong to Christ, and the whole point of having the Spirit, as portrayed in this chapter is that we will not serve or obey the flesh.

v. 11 – the reason the Spirit can give us the victory, is because of His power. If he can raise Christ from the dead, He certainly can provide the power we need to rise above sin.

Conclusion:

D. L. Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."
(Quoted in http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/holy_spirit_infilling.htm)

Freedom from the Law

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the audio player shown.)

This is a message based on Romans 7:1-25, and is part of a series of messages that we have been giving on the book of Romans.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

As we return to our series of messages on Romans I just want to begin by summarizing what we have already learned through this comprehensive letter the Apostle has sent to the believers in Rome.

I have been reading a book by Dr. John Oswalt titled, Called to Be Holy. He does a splendid job of summarizing the content of these earlier chapters, so I would like to quote him.

In the first chapter [Paul] shows that the Gentiles knew enough of God not to become idolaters, and yet they did and in consequence have sunk to the most despicable sins. But in chapters two and three, he shows that the Jews have no cause for self-congratulation. If anything, their situation is worse because they have the written revelation and are thus responsible for their greater knowledge. But this greater knowledge has not resulted in the kind of obedience it should…. Paul can say towards the end of chapter 3, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

…If all humans stand condemned before God, and if there is nothing we can do to clear the charges from our record, what can we do? Paul begins to answer that question in 3:21. God has made his righteousness available to us through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ.

Regarding chapters 4 & 5 Oswalt continues by describing how the law was never given as a means to make humans right before God. Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith even before the law was given. Additionally, the Law is unable to remedy the sinful inclinations passed on to us from our first parents, but it functions to show us just how sinful we are and prepare us for the Cross.

Chapter five was as far as we got before the Advent Season a couple of months ago. Then we resumed our series a couple of weeks ago by looking at…

V.     God's righteousness is revealed through sanctification. (6:1-8:39)

I want to remind us briefly about what the word sanctify (ication) refers to.

In its earliest uses it referred to God’s “transcendence” and “otherness.” It also speaks of cleansing, or purity, as well as being separated from the common or ordinary. It emphasizes the fact that God’s people are distinguished by being cleansed from moral impurity and separated from common worldly purposes to be entirely devoted to God’s purposes.

The Apostle Paul, uses chapters six through eight to answer some of the questions that might arise out of chapters 4-5.

Quoting from Oswalt’s book again:

[the reader says] ….if none of my good deeds made me acceptable to God, and if they actually kept me from God, then it doesn’t matter how I live now that I have accepted God’s offer of Christ. In fact, if I just surrender to my sins, Christ will be free to give more of the grace he so much enjoys giving!

To all of this, Paul goes off like a rocket…. The very idea that Christians might think that they should just go on living in sin after they had received Christ’s forgiveness is abhorrent to the apostle…. So Paul says here, “Don’t you understand? Why did Jesus give his life for you – just so that he could stamp [the word] ‘justified’ on you? Never! He did it so that he could stamp his image on you!”

The last two Sundays we examined chapter six which showed that…

A.  Sanctification means grace has been victorious. (6:1-23)

“Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!” (Quote from chapter five of Romans)

Today, we are moving into chapter 7 which addresses a question that Paul supposes will arise in the minds of his readers after they have read chapter 6.

We can imagine [their] response going something like this: “Oh, now I understand, Paul. We were brought into relationship with God by grace through faith, but to remain in that relationship we must live a holy life, and we do that by keeping the law. Right?” Paul answers, “Wrong! You cannot keep the law. If you attempt to do that, the law will only [condemn] you.”

In many respects, chapter 7 revisits some of the same points that Paul made earlier in chapters 4 & 5. So let’s turn to Romans 7 now to see what additional insights the Lord would have us discover regarding the whole idea of sanctification.

B.  Sanctification means the law has a purpose. (7:1-25)

i.  The purpose of the law is defined and illustrated. (7:1-6)

a.  Its purpose is to exercise dominion. (7:1)

Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

The apostle starts his argument by reminding those who are already familiar with the law that the law exercises control or dominion. It seems like he is saying, “If you think that mere compliance with the law will continue to grant you standing in the grace of God, have you forgotten what the law is and what it does?”

b.  Its dominion is illustrated by marriage. (7:2-3)

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. ³  So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

There are a some commentators and plenty of preachers who have used this passage of scripture as a proof text about the issue of divorce. However, divorce is not the topic of discussion here. Paul is simply mentioning the aspects of the law that suit the illustration he is trying to make. Here’s the illustration…

When a woman is married to one man, she is bound by law to not be married to another man at the same time. But, if her husband dies, then she is free to marry another man.

c.  The believer is united to a new spouse. (7:4-6)

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

The reference here is similar to the one Paul made in chapter six when he says we died to sin when we were baptized into Christ. That spiritual baptism into Christ made us dead to sin. Here he seems to be saying the same kind of thing that he wrote to the Galatians (2:20), “I am crucified with Christ…”

Wesleyan Bible Commentary - Just as a slave cannot serve two masters, a woman cannot be committed to two husbands simultaneously. But, when death ends the marriage relationship, the woman is free to bind herself to a new love relationship.

⁵  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. ⁶  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Living in the flesh made us condemned by the law, but now we are delivered from the law (and its condemnation) in order to serve God in the new life of the spirit of Christ and not under the curse of the law.

(According to Oswalt) There are four uses of the term “flesh” in the NT: (here, vv. 5, 18, 15)

• Refers to physical flesh (body) – 1 Jn. 4:2, 3 - Christ came in the flesh; good connotation in contrast to the way the Greeks thought of the body (i.e. evil).
• Refers to desires related to bodily needs, thus desires for sleep, food, water, sex, etc. – good or bad depending on degree to which one’s life is controlled by them.
• Refers to attitude which says “all there is to life is the satisfaction of bodily desire, and acquisition of material possessions – bad.
• Refers to attitude which makes human ability supreme. It refers to pride and self-will – very bad.

ii.  The purpose and character of the law is defended. (7:7-13)

In this next section (verses 7-13), Paul wants them to know that he is not “trashing” the law (to put it in contemporary language). Also notice changes in pronouns – “you” (1-4); “we” (5-6); “I” (7-25).

a.  The law was designed to expose sin. (7:7-11)

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? (hamartia; miss the mark) Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin (in me) except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." ⁸  But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.

Sin was dead in the sense that I knew nothing about it. But once I learned, then I desired my own way even more!

⁹  I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰  And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

“was to bring life” – i.e. that is what Paul expected it to do.

Wuest's Word Studies – Paul expected his … life under law to issue in the production of a testimony … that would be a living one, … accomplished through his attempt at law-obedience. But he found that mere effort at obeying an outside law resulted in defeat [condemnation and spiritual death]. [Refer back to v.1- dominion]

b.  The law is holy and good. (7:12-13)

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. ¹³  Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

Paul lays aside all accusations about the law being evil. No! The law is holy, just and good. The law did exactly what it was designed to do – cause me to become aware of what sin was and recognize it in my own life. But also, the law was designed to help me understand the holiness or “otherness” of God, and realize my own ungodliness.

iii.  The weakness of the law is explained and illustrated. (7:14-25)

There are many Christian authors and commentators who view these verses as Paul’s admission that it is impossible for a Christian to live without sinning.

But I agree with those who affirm that Paul is not talking about normal Christian experience or even his own experience as a believer. He is speaking about his experience, as a Jew, trying to live up to the law prior to his conversion.

“Normal Christian experience” cannot be described as “sold [like a slave] under sin” (5:14; compare 5:23) when he has already proclaimed in chapter six that we are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness - we can't be slaves to both.

a.  The Apostle’s experience validates the law.

The law is spiritual and I am carnal (v 14) – once again affirming the goodness and valid purpose of the law, but the problem he’s discovered is the flaw in his own spirit. “He prefers the tainted rather than the pure.” (Oswalt)

The rest of the chapter is Paul's own testimony that shows the validity of what he has been saying. Some people think that this is Paul's testimony as a Christian, but it surely portrays his striving to serve God before his conversion.

b.  The law is powerless to deliver or rescue.

O wretched man that I am – I’ve discovered the law couldn’t deliver me from my own fleshly passions and desires.

Conclusion:

So, looking at the title I have chosen for today’s message, one might think, “Oh, ‘FREEDOM FROM THE LAW,’ that must mean that I can live any way I want to live, because I’m “not under the law, but under grace.”

No, that is not freedom from the law, that is living against the law or “antinomianism.”

Paul wasn’t “anti-law” (against law), but he was free from the law. He had come to learn what it meant to live in the life of the spirit (which we will be talking about in the next chapter), and not suffer under constant condemnation of the law.

If I could share my own experience:

When I tried to live by obedience to the law, I constantly discovered my inability to be victorious. Whenever I failed, I would feel condemned and I would conclude I couldn’t live pleasing to the Lord, so I would just give up.

The law is still good in the sense that it reveals how I need to make adjustments to live holy like God and please him, but I have a whole different perspective now. I look to the Holy Spirit for help and I strive to make changes out of a motivation of love for God rather than a sense of self-satisfaction over keeping the rules.

The closing song I’ve chosen for today is:

His Way With Thee

Pay close attention to the words of these verses as we sing. Think of them in the light of the verses we’ve just studied.

Masters and Slaves

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a message based on Romans 6:15-23 in which the Apostle Paul urges his readers to be slaves of righteousness rather than slaves to sin. It is part of a series of sermons on the entire book of Romans.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Last Sunday we resumed our series of messages through the book of Romans by looking at chapter six. The emphasis of this chapter is that Christians are expected to be consistently victorious over sin.

My heart is still just as passionate today as I felt last week about the theme of this chapter.

(In case there are people here today that missed last Sunday, I’ve never done this before, but I would like to urge you to go to our church’s website, click on “Resources” and listen to the sermon from last Sunday. If you don’t have internet, go back to the sound booth and sign up to get a CD of last week’s service.)

Until you get a chance to do that I want you to consider a few of the points that I made while introducing last week’s message. (Some of these points come from the speaker I heard in SC a couple of weeks ago.)

·        We [American] Christians do not want our faith to make us holy, we only want it to make us happy. (I’ve literally heard some people say, “God wants me happy, so whatever it takes to make me happy is God’s will.”)

·        Faith today [for most Christians] begins with personal felt needs and ends with convenience and simplicity. (In other words, many of us initially come to Christ because of some crisis that we want relief from, and then we continue living out our faith according to what is convenient or pleasant.)

·        The time spent watching TV by many Christians is 7 times greater that the time spent in all spiritual pursuits combined [i.e., personal devotions, church attendance, discipleship, etc.]. (It’s no wonder most Christians today live by moral values and priorities that are define by Hollywood.)

·        George Barna – “We have not transformed our culture because we are neither grieved nor embarrassed by our sin.”

·        Most people believe the message of the NT Gospel is, “How can my sins be forgiven and I be assured of heaven?”

·        But the real question is, “How can a deeply corrupted human being ever share the character of a holy God?” [and live once again in perfect communion with Him, both now and for eternity?]

·        I’d like to share two paragraphs from John Oswalt’s book titled, “Called to Be Holy.”

… the Christian gospel is not primarily about having one’s sins forgiven and spending a blissful eternity with God after somehow [managing to get] through this life with one’s faith reasonably intact…. The purpose of the Gospel is the same that God has had [ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, which is] the transformation of human [desires] and behaviors in this world with the consequent possibility of living with God through all eternity. The OT shows us what that transformation is, and the NT shows us what God has done to make [it] possible.

This means that unless Christians are truly transformed into the character of God, the whole purpose of the Church’s existence becomes blurred and confused. The world looks upon hateful, self-serving, undisciplined, greedy, impure and [immoral] people who nevertheless claim to the be the people of God, and says, “You lie!”

We learned earlier in the book of Romans that this defective condition of sin has been passed on to all humanity. We have inherited it from our first parents. But, salvation and redemption is all about restoring what was lost: the character and image of God within us, a relationship with God that includes genuine fellowship and intimacy with Him, and ultimately, the restoration of perfect peace and order He designed for all of His creation.

Today we are going to finish up chapter six and we will be starting with verse 15. If you are using one of the outlines to follow along, you will see that last week we considered…

i.   Victory comes through knowledge of the truth. (1-10)

ii.  Victory comes through identification with Christ. (11-14)

Now we are ready to consider…

iii. Victory comes through slavery to righteousness. (6:15-23)

There is a natural division here because of the same type of question that was first use in verse 1. (“What then?”) (v.1 “What shall we say then?”)

Last week I pointed out that in verse 1, the question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” probably refers back to the statement in 5:20 “…where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Here in verse 15, the question, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” is a direct reference to the previous statement in verse 14: “… you are not under law, but under grace.”

(Reasoner) “The verb “sin” in v 15 is aorist subjunctive, implying a single act of sin. In 6:1 the question is whether we should continue (present subjunctive) in a life of sin; in v 15 the question is whether we should sin even once.”

(I probably should point out here that Paul is not speaking about “sins of ignorance” or mistakes, etc. He is speaking about a willful decision to violate God’s will in order to have my own way.)

Paul, in his typical manner of writing, assumes that last statement is going to raise the question in the mind of his readers, “If we’re not under the law, but we’re under grace, then isn’t it okay if we keep sinning in order to exalt the grace of God?” (because the “law condemns, but grace forgives”)

Again, as in verse 1, Paul responds, “God forbid!” or “No Way!”

He then answers the hypothetical question by using another type of analogy: Slavery.

      a.  Slavery implies only one master. (6:15-20)

¹⁶  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

(A. T. Robertson) Loyalty to Christ will not permit occasional crossing over to the other side to Satan's line.

Paul is clearly making a direct connection between the idea of servant (slaves) and obeying. If we are “obeying” sin, then we are the slave of sin. If we are “obeying” righteousness, then we are the slave of righteousness.

There’s only two options and it cannot be a mixture of both.

¹⁷  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Speaking to the believers, he reminds them that they were, in time past, slaves to sin, but they have been set free; just like a slave that has been redeemed.

The transition came about when they “obeyed from the heart” and were “molded” by the teaching they had received.

Their obedience here is characterized as “from the heart.” It was not mechanical, casual, or coerced. It was intentional and sincere - from the heart.

(Reasoner) This is an example of people who have allowed the teaching of the gospel to change them, rather than being changed by the culture to fit in with it. (Cf. Rom. 12:2)

¹⁸  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

“having been set free;” “became slaves” – aorist verbs, denoting completed action.

¹⁹  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

(Adam Clarke's Commentary) “As if he had said: I make use of metaphors and figures connected with well-known natural things; with your trades and situation in life; because of your inexperience in heavenly things…”

“slaves of uncleanness” – synonymous with “sin”, morally filthy.

“iniquity unto iniquity” – “lawlessness to more lawlessness.” Some think this is a reference of the sin nature producing sinful actions, or it may just be an indication that sin rarely if ever stands alone. One sin begets another, which begets another….

This obviously is the nature of slavery.

“righteousness unto holiness” – both righteousness and holiness (sanctification) are terms that describe the character of God. Justice, purity, separated from the ordinary or the common. Also, in contrast to the phrase “iniquity unto iniquity,” this description, “righteousness unto holiness” also implies the more we seek righteousness and holiness the more it produces.

²⁰  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Logically, if we are freed from sin in order to become slaves to righteousness, then the converse is also true – when we are slaves to sin, we are free from righteousness. You Can’t Serve Two Masters!

      b.  Slavery produces consequences. (6:21-23)

Whichever “master” we serve as a slave, either sin or righteousness, there will be consequences irrevocably attached to each one.

²¹  What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

The consequence of slavery to sin is first of all shame and regret in this life, and subsequently, death in the end.

²²  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Slavery to God (equivalent to slavery to righteousness) results in a holy life on earth and everlasting life after this life.

²³  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
(Reasoner) “While v23 is almost always preached evangelistically, in context it is a warning to the believer that if he yields himself to the control of sin, that course of action will lead to spiritual death (see v 16)…. v 23 answers the rhetoric questions raised in v 1 and v 15. Shall we who have been saved by grace continue in sin? No, for to do so would bring spiritual death.”

 

Conclusion:

This entire passage seems to echo the words of Jesus that we read earlier in our Scripture reading: “No man can serve two masters…”

Paul has vividly illustrated that it is impossible for a Christian believer to serve two masters. You and I will either be a slave to Jesus Christ resulting in righteousness and ultimately, eternal life, or we will be a slave to Satan and sin, with the tragic consequence of death.

Which master do you serve?

As we close the service today with a communion service, I wish to transition from this message into the celebration of communion by reminding each one of us that Jesus suffered and died so that we no longer need to be a servant to sin. Let me repeat a portion of the quote I read at the beginning from Dr. Oswalt: “The OT shows us what that transformation is, and the NT shows us what God has done to make [it] possible.” The emblems that we share today are the symbolic evidence that sin has been conquered by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of grace can give us victory to live as servants of righteousness.

Hallelujah!